Read my other recent reply. I agree that it would be hard to guess gear
combinations that have gear-inch duplicates. But even in such cases, an
educated guess could be made as not all duplicates are precise numerical
duplicates. For example, I have a 12-25 10-cog cassette matched to a
30-42-53 triple chainring. Both 42x 15 and 53x19 result in a 74 g-i ratio,
rounded. But the first one is actually 73.97, while the second is 73.69, so
a smart computer could make a pretty good guess as to which combo was in
use. Even if errors are introduced by innacurate circumference measurement,
or expansion/contraction due to weather or wear, etc., could be compensated
for because the relation between these two ratios remains steady. None of
this would require ANY additional mechanical parts or modifications. So
unless I'm missing something, I don't see why this wouldn't be possible from
a technical pov. In terms of whether this would make business sense, that's
a whole different issue. I'd buy one, if it was not much more expensive than
standard computers. And it certainly shouldn't cost much for manufacturers,
who are constantly upgrading their products to stay competitive.
And I'd say there's a wee bit of a difference between looking down AND back,
away from the direction of travel (and oncoming bikes, cars, trucks,
potholes, etc.), and looking down and slightly forward, where peripheral
vision keeps you relatively safe.
--
Kovie
[email hidden]
"David L. Johnson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:Kovie said:Seems to me that if your computer already has a cadence sensor and
capability (mine does), it would be a relatively simple matter to add to
it
the ability to calculate and display which gears one was in (so long as
there was a way to input the number of teeth on the front and rear gears,
the way you currently have to input the wheel circumference).
Well, there was a computer that did this in reverse. Some Shimano Flight
deck (I think that was the name) computers would tie into the STI
shifters, so they knew what gear you were in, would then take the gear and
speed and give you a "virtual" cadence. It didn't know when you were
coasting, though, so required some interpretation.
But modern bikes have so many crossover gears that it could never really
tell you what gears you were in from the cadence and the speed. It could
tell you the gear size easily enough, but would have to guess what
chainring you were in.
Quoted message said:
But it would be nice
to be able to know which gear I was in without having look look down.
I hasten to point out that, in order to read the computer you have to look
down, as well.
--
David L. Johnson
__o | "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored
_`\(,_ | by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." --Ralph Waldo
(_)/ (_) | Emerson
